Temperature Reading: Two weeks of classes left!

Well, the weather has changed somewhat, and we are finally getting some warmer temperatures. Amazingly, these concrete apartments stay remarkably cool despite the outdoor temperatures. I end up wearing more layers of clothing inside the apartment than I do outside! But the sunshine is glorious, as you can imagine.

Classes are starting to wind down, and the profs are gearing up for the end of the semester with finals and grades. None of the other students are anxious for the semester to end, but I am ready to leave this semester behind and get back home to real life. For them, going home means leaving the freedom of living abroad and heading back to dorm rooms and parental homes, but for me going home means getting back to the freedom that I enjoy in a home of my own creation. Very different, indeed.

In looking around our apartment, I am thinking about what we are going to do with all the stuff we have accumulated. Some of it will be given away, like the computer and the extra kitchen items we purchased. Some will have to be left behind and the rest somehow stuffed into our luggage. We already send home a box full of souvenirs and books, but we have another small pile growing that will need to be packed. I will also have to find a place for my school papers that I accumulated here...I'm gonna try to be ruthless in taking home only what is absolutely necessary (paper is heavy!). I'm thinking that I will be leaving some clothing here, especially some that I am really sick of wearing! I didn't bring a lot (only really a week's worth), and I have been wearing the same things over and over. Ugh!

I think Chuck and I are just plain ole worn out. Physically. We have walked so much these past months, since we have no wheels, of course. Miles a day, often - over to the Plaka, over to Syntagma, through the markets, up to Ciaos, over to the stadium, back up the stairs to the apartment. Many, many stairs... I was doing alright when it was cooler because I was wearing more supportive walking-type shoes, but once I started wearing my new Greek sandals, my feet and legs really started feeling it. Absolutely no cushion or support is not good on marble, stone, and concrete surfaces. I finally broke down and got something that I knew would save my feet:

yep, the old standby!

So, we just make it through 8 more days of classes, two final papers (one of which I have already written) and one final (killer) exam, and we are done. Very much looking forward to flying to the southern US to visit some dear friends for a few days prior to winging our way home. I am sure I will have more to say in retrospect as we get closer, but for now I am just trying to savor all I enjoy about Greece - the sunshine, the music, the food, and the beautiful people we have grown to love.